Hainault Forest Country Park | Epping Forest | Dallaswear

Hainault Forest Country Park

This lovely country park is situated in an urban area in the London Borough of Redbridge.

It is a mixture of ancient woodland and open fields and, having quite an elevated position, has wonderful views over the ever-expanding city of London.

The park has a rich history. 280 acres of the Country Park are comprised of a forested area known today as Hainault Forest. In the eleventh century it was part of the Royal hunting forests and as far back as the reign of Henry I, in the 1130’s, it was declared specially protected. The forest dates back to the last Ice Age when it was part of a much bigger forest which covered much of Britain.

In 1906 it was designated a Country Park after having been acquired for the nation in 1903 by Essex and London councils. This followed a public campaign in reaction to devastating deforestation of the area as a result of turning swathes of land over to farming in order to feed the growing population of London.

Hainault Forest is now managed by the Woodland Trust while the remainder of the park is looked after by the local council.

The park has two car parks. There are ten pedestrian entrances to the park which include squeeze gaps and kissing gates. There are several multi-user paths around the site and a mixture of surfaced and unsurfaced paths. Of course, as with all parks and outdoor activities, it is advisable to dress appropriately and to wear sturdy footwear because the paths can be muddy during wet periods.

I have visited the park on many occasions and have always enjoyed myself. There is a very nice café serving drinks, snacks and hot food and a good walk down to the fishing lake. There are have been an amazing 158 bird species recorded in the park, particularly in Hainault Forest which is a big draw for birdwatchers. Species that have been spotted include now rare turtle doves, nightingale, brambling, wood warbler, bullfinch, fieldfare and woodpeckers. Around the lake there are always plenty of geese, ducks and swans to be seen. With a range of habitats on offer such as ancient woodland and pasture, heathland and former arable fields, open grassland and mature scrub as well as

wetland habitats there are so many opportunities for wildlife to thrive. This abundance is an opportunity for wildlife lovers to take advantage of. Badgers, wood mice and numerous species of vole are resident in the park along with common pipistrelle, brown long-eared, Daubenton, Natterer bats and a further seven species of bats.

As the seasons change so does the flora and fauna. In Autumn the trees start to change colour and colourful fungi starts to appear. Look out for angel’s bonnets, jade-green elf cups and fly agaric.

Earlier in the year you can see beautiful butterflies fluttering in their various habitats with species including peacock, speckled wood, white admiral and purple hairstreak. Bluebells fill the woods in spring and wild garlic fills the air with its fragrant scent.

If you prefer more exotic species you are in luck. Hainault Country park has a wonderful and varied petting zoo. Over the years there have been red squirrels, little owls, pigs, peacocks, turkeys, chickens, guinea fowl, chipmunks, alpaca, sheep and meerkats resident in the zoo. It was always enjoyable taking a slow walk around the zoo to get close to and really enjoy the animals.

Hainault Country Park has become a huge success, attracting visitors who enjoy all that it has to offer. It has gained SSSI status and is a valuable asset to the local community attracting visits from local school children who benefit from it educationally.

In May 2019 a £4.2m grant from the National Lottery was secured on behalf of the London Borough of Redbridge to restore the forest and maintain the ancient woodland. The money will also help with a breeding programme of native threatened species such as red squirrels which will then be released in to the wild.

In addition to this good work the funding will also allow the project to offer help to local people in the form of employment and educational opportunities for residents, schools and mental health patients who would be referred on to the scheme by their GP.

I would really recommend a visit to this beautiful park. It is some time since I was last there but I enjoyed all my previous visits and it sounds as though things are only going to get better for this wonderful attraction. I’m certainly

looking forward to visiting again soon! https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/w...